A Hard Winter = Digging Deeper

February 18, 2014 | By: Jeff Maddox

Editor’s Note:What appears below is a guest blog post from veteran biker Jeff Maddox, who regularly holds court over at the JMAdog blog.

When in doubt, dig deeper. I know what you’re thinking; how can digging deeper relieve any doubt? For those of us in the Midwest who are currently buried in over a foot of snow, digging can’t hurt. But, it goes deeper than that. We motorcyclists ride our bikes for many reasons – ranging from transportation to recreation, and somewhere along the way we find something else. Something deep down inside of us that only a motorcycle can bring to the surface. Freedom. That feeling you get when it’s all about you and the road or trail you’re on. That sense of a “perfect day” when you don’t want the ride to end kind of feeling. For the majority of riders, winter can bury that sense of freedom we get when we ride to the point it is screaming to get out.

Once in a while we get lucky and the weather will break just long enough to get out for a little bit, but then it’s back to hating the weatherman and the bad news he brings every evening around 6 p.m. Hey, don’t shoot the messenger! It’s not his fault and let’s face it, we bikers will take our chances on how accurate he really is. Patience is a virtue, but I really want to ride, so for the last few weeks I’ve had to dig a little deeper inside of me when I think I’ll never ride again. Spring is just around the corner, or so I’m told, and it’s true. Ironically, winter comes around about this time every year, so it’s always just a matter of time.

It’s going to be a good year for those of us who ride. There is always someplace to go and events to attend, and I plan on making a couple of weekend trips this year that I didn’t get done last year. Plans are already being made for Sturgis and it will August before we know it, and even though I’ve made that trip many times before I still look forward to it. J&P Cycles always puts on a great event the end of June with their Open House Rally and if you haven’t been, I encourage you to do so. Bikes, Blues and BBQ in Arkansas is on my list every year, but when I get back from Sturgis it’s hard to get away for another four to five days. Plenty of things to do just not enough time to do it all.

Hang in there and it’s only a matter of time. I’m digging – my driveway out and deeper in my gut – to get over this bump in the road. We will ride again!

Comments (3)

Free at Last
Breaking the silence with a bellowing moan. Thundering hot gases heat the cool midnight air, as twin pipes echo through the empty darkness..
Blazing a trail into the next realm of freedom.
A flick of the wrist, magiclly tunes the chorme trumpets to sing.. As the dual symphony rages on, they scream of one desire.. Give us more & more, MORE throttle to please our master..
Faster & faster they roar, reaching the speeds of liberty. Spliting across a hidden space in time, through the core of a thin gray line.
Forever past the pain of distance memories.
Thursting into a seren tranquility, & grasping the zero gravity, of LETTING FEAR GO…. X4H.

A bike ride that turns into a space shuttle launch.
P.S. It’s time to melt some ice, guys & gals.

I have found that to get through the winter and maintain that feeling of freedom, I use skiing and snowboarding. The wind in your face even if it brief as the hills around here are puny. I have found riding behind a snowmobile is just fun too. There are ways to make the winter not so long. And as a bonus you don’t spend all your time looking at those sad machines sitting in the garage. But like all bikers can’t end fast enough even with the distractions.

My sister shared this link with me and I thought she was just teasing me but reading it made me feel a little better.
I’m a sufferer of PMS.
NO joke, I have dreams about riding. My subconscious starts twitching in February every year and taunts me with vivid dreams of road, wind and the smell of hot leather and a warm engine.
In Canada the winters are long and the riding season is short but it’s worth the wait every year.
Hang in there!